Labor Day: a day of relaxation for most
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS
I have wonderful recollections of the celebration of Labor Day in my younger years. What comes to mind are days at the beach, when I lived in New York State, visiting friends, barbecues, games, just sitting by the pool, on a porch in the backyard, something like that.
One of the great memories I have is with my parents and some friends. We went to Jones Beach on Long Island. The friends had a car and brought all the barbecue stuff. Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten their names. He was German, and they were co-workers in a factory with Dad. We all had a good time. That was in 1956, after were in USA two years. Mom and Dad were of German and Dutch origin, and I was born in Holland.
In later years, when I was in religious life, there were mostly barbecues, watching good movies on a small television (We didn’t have cable, and we hardly ever watched the news).
Now, an octogenarian, I don’t want to watch the news, but I do once in a while to keep up with world events. I prefer “News” to be actual reports of what happened, not interpretations by so-called newscasters with their views of what they think took place. Give it to me straight, and I’ll make up my mind about what I think!
Finally, peace! Daily, I’m barraged with scam callers—forty between this morning and over lunch. I decline them and then reject them, but it totally breaks my concentration. I was told by a friend that a cell phone has a mechanism to stop these annoying calls. I haven’t found it yet. Hopefully, I can figure out how to activate it soon so I can enjoy some uninterrupted quiet time to read and reflect in peace.
Nowadays, I don’t have enough interaction with other people. I live by myself. I “interact” with the folks who bring my midday meal (Meals on Wheels—a gift from God), and that’s about it. So when writing reflections, I try to write about things that happened in the past. Sometimes, especially with these scam calls, it is difficult. Three or four calls in the past 10 minutes. Dear Lord, please give me inspiration and strength!
I miss my friends, particularly those with whom I was involved in bird-banding. See “my adventure with birds” --https://www.dmfofs2.com/my-adventures-with-birds from about 1964 through 1996. In 1968 (I believe) I met Peter Polisse, Jr. That was near Ship Bottom, NJ, where he then lived, and who introduced me to the study and banding of raptors (hawks and owls). Peter isn’t with us anymore; he went to the Lord a couple of years ago. Pete was a great friend. I miss him because he was the last person I could talk to about hawk banding and many other birds. At some point, he moved up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I’ve visited him there twice. I’m still in contact with his wife, Patty.
So that’s what Labor Day does to me these days, it reminds me of old friends and memories from times past. Praise the Lord!
Peace and Good,
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
September 4, 2026